Full Name: Mbuso Thabethe

Position and Company Name: CEO of Dunlop Belting Products

Main Activity of the Company: Dunlop Belting Products is the continent’s largest manufacturer of heavy-duty industrial conveyor belts, servicing the mining, energy, ports and agriculture sectors

Date and Place of Birth: October 16, 1977, Johannesburg

Schools and Tertiary Education: I attended Hilton College in KwaZulu-Natal, matriculating as head of house and recipient of the Carl Klingenberg Memorial Prize for the best all-round matriculant in 1995. I later completed an MBA at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business and, time permitting, aspire to pursue a doctorate in business administration

First Job: TV presenter on Multichoice’s Channel O. At some point I was a musician and won a South African Music Award for Best R&B album in 1998

Size of First Pay Packet: R4 000 a week

Career Path to Date: After returning from the UK in 2003 and leaving ‘on-camera’ work, I acquired 49% of a leading audiovisual production company and became its MD. In 2011, with investment backing, I established a media and communications agency, before being appointed MD of Dunlop Industrial Africa, the sales and marketing arm of Dunlop South Africa, in 2013. In October 2020, I led a management buyout of Dunlop Belting Products, supported by the Industrial Development Corporation and Standard Bank, and became CEO

Value of Assets under Your Control: R1.7-billion

Number of People under Your Leadership: Around 1 350

Management Style: My approach is best described as steward leadership. I am known for being diplomatic and taking the time to listen, while decisive when needed. Transformation is central to all that I do. I also chair our workplace forum, engaging monthly with elected representatives of all our factory departments to discuss issues and opportunities openly, ensuring employees are aligned with the company’s strategy and vision

Personal Best Achievement: Fathering two amazing boys and receiving the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s 2024 Black Industrialist Award for Job Creation

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My mother, late father, siblings and wife. Their continuous encouragement and prayers influence what I do and how I do it

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: I have been blessed to have had amazing business partners throughout my career, each of whom has contributed uniquely to the person and leader I am today

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Former US President Barack Hussein Obama

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Many – from the likes of Lazarus Zim and Dr Christo Wiese to those I consider to be the best examples of self-made black entrepreneurs, such as Herman Mashaba, Richard Maponya, Ephraim Tshabalala, Alex Molokoane and Mike Nkuna

Philosophy of Life: Maya Angelou famously stated: “I’ve learnt that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. No turnover, no profits, Ebit/Ebitda, et cetera, will ever surpass being a genuine and kind human being to everyone

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Our 2020 management buyout of Dunlop Belting Products

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Losing my father at a very young age and the fact that he’s not here today to witness the man (father, husband, son, brother, uncle and business leader) his eldest son has become

Hope for the Future: I hope for continued growth and profitability at Dunlop Belting Products to support sustainable employment creation for South Africans, and for strength and good health to see our children grow and make a positive impact on the country and the world at large

Favourite Reading: I’m a serious John Grisham fan

Favourite TV Programme: All the Chicago series – PD, Fire, Med and, more recently, Boston Blue

Favourite Food/Drink: Mogodu (tripe) and samp, and a certain 15-year-old single-malt whiskey that starts with the seventh letter of the alphabet

Favourite Music: R&B and gospel

Favourite Sport: Rugby

Hobbies: Music, but my wife is determined to turn me into a golfer

Car: Mercedes-Benz

Miscellaneous Dislikes: High-revving cars with sound-barrier-breaking subwoofers while I’m sitting at a street restaurant trying to have a meeting

Married: To Sarah Thabethe

Children: Two boys aged 14 and 11

Clubs: The Sharks (rugby), Kaizer Chiefs (local football), Arsenal (international football)